Ferrari Facing World Motor Sport Council Verdict; Stefano Domenicali Maintains Innocence
In the aftermath of the Italian team’s disputatious one-two outcome at this weekend’s German Grand Prix in Hockenheim, Ferrari have been slapped with a hefty monetary penalty of US $100,000 by the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) after the race stewards concluded Stefano Domenicali’s squad had violated sporting rules and the matter has been forwarded to the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).
Ferrari racer, Brazil’s Felipe Massa, who was at the forefront of the competition at the Hockenheim race, paved way for his Spanish teammate Fernando Alonso to get ahead of him on Lap 49. Only moments earlier, the Brazilian catalyst’s race engineer, Rob Smedley, had told Massa that Alonso outstripped his pace and if he could validate whether or not he could relate to the directive.
Although the Italian giants stressed the communication between Smedley and Massa did not represent a team order, the Stewards concluded Ferrari had infringed Article 39.1 of the sport’s decrees, which asserts that team orders which meddle with a race outcome are forbidden, and Article 151 (c) of the International Sporting Code, that bans any duplicitous behaviour or any measure partial to the benefit of any competition or the benefit of motor racing in general.
The race stewards then slammed Ferrari with the most severe monetary penalty they are authorized to dictate on a contestant, and furthered their ruling to the WMSC for its deliberation, which means the squad may face more official reprise.
Protesting Ferrari’s clear conscience, squad boss Stefano Domenicali remarked his side had decided against contesting the ruling of the race stewards, and that he was optimistic the WMSC would reach a reasonable and rational conclusion over the saga.
Meanwhile, Massa elaborated that the nod to relinquish the advantage to Alonso had been solely his own discretion and the team did not have a hand affecting the proceedings. Massa emphasized he had decided to act in the best interest of the team and that Smedley had endeavoured to keep him up to date with all the relevant developments, especially since the hard tyres were proving somewhat challenging for him to cope with.
However, the larger Formula One community has universally refused to buy the Ferrari management’s protestations of clean dealing, and fans have cried foul over what they see as blatant disregard for FIA regulations by one of the most well established teams in the paddock. Red Bull boss, Christian Horner, who recently himself came under fire for alleged favouritism in his squad towards Germany’s Sebastian Vettel at the expense of his Australian Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, also added fanned flames, remarking that Ferrari’s actions had brought shame to the sport. Horner said there was little doubt Massa’s decision to let Alonso overtake him at Lap 49 had been a direct consequence of team orders, and that he found it hard to accept that a team of Ferrari’s stature should stoop to such a low. The Red Bull premier remarked that Alonso’s dubious triumph had robbed spectators of the thrill of a true Formula One battle and that the Italian side’s actions, if exonerated, would set a highly undesirable example for the future.
McLaren have also made a public a piece of their mind over Ferrari’s recent antics. The team head, Martin Whitmarsh, stressed he would not resort to team orders even if it meant abandoning the championship victory. Whitmarsh argued teammates must be given the go-ahead to compete with each other on every opportunity. Although Whitmarsh refused to be too harshly critical of Ferrari in the public eye, he was nevertheless careful to emphasize that come what may, his side would not resort to the dubious practice of team orders.
However, not all bosses in the paddock have professed to be as upright as Whitmarsh. Lotus’s principal technical officer Mike Gascoyne pretty much confessed that all squads issued team orders in some form or the other, and that Ferrari’s mistake was that they had gone about it in a ridiculously blundering fashion.
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